LRFD22850ST (ASTCGSZ) LG Refrigerator - Overview

This refrigerator/freezer problem had been escalating for almost a year, requiring me to frequently knock the ice buildup free with a rubber mallet. I finally decided to try to identify the problem by removing the freezer door and all of the shelves and shelf tracks (easily removed with only a phillips screwdriver). Then I removed the back plastic panel to expose the cooling coils, which were partially encased in ice. I deduced that the evaporator fan motor was failing, which blows air over the freezer cooling coils and forces the cool air up into the upper refrigerator section (which was not staying cold). I then found and ordered the fan motor from part select. Their search function and exploded drawing schematics made it easy to identify the part and part number. It seems the original part number had been superceded with a new number, which I ordered. Once it arrived after about a week, I transferred the fan blades from the old motor to the new fan motor, and after completely drying out the freezer compartment, I reinstalled all of the parts and plugged in the unit and waited. By the next day, the refrigerator was operating at peak efficiency, and the ice buildup in the freezer has not returned. I was very close to scrapping the entire refrigerator as junk, but with a little diagnostic effort and about $110 for the new motor, I have a fully functioning refrigerator again. Thanks to Part Select for a great experience.

Video makes it look easy. Kenmore refrigerator does not have "groove" along the right hand side of switch that allows for pushing down on release. Used a thin screwdriver to get under to push while holding switch edge with pliers. Kept slipping. Tape sides to avoid scratching inside of refrigerator.

the first part of the repair involved figuring out exactly which part needed to be replaced. this proved to be more difficult that the actual repair. Sadly, the parts diagram on PartSelect is useless. this is true for every aftermarket part supplier because they all use the manufacturer's parts diagrams. The solution to the puzzle was, of course, YouTube!
Just lookup something close to your problem and YouTube will most likely have a video of the repair. In my case the YouTube video actually named the part I needed and showed exactly how to replace it. It took a bit more digging and cross-referencing on PartSelect but I was able to order the correct parts and the purchase & shipping process was flawless.